About the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies

Master of Peace and Conflict Studies students will:

1. Complete core courses that foster the capacity of students to understand the promise and potential of civil society to advance peace through principled advocacy, effective programming, and dynamic engagement with the state and marketplace
2. Take elective courses offered through the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) department and other cooperating departments/programs (International Development, Global Governance, Political Science, Theological Studies, etc.).
3. Interact with faculty members with expertise in areas such as:

• unofficial (track two) dialogue processes,
• human rights,
• the role of civil society,
• the role of cultural and religious traditions in peace-building, and
• the practice of peace-building.

1. Be a part of a unique community learning environment at Conrad Grebel University College, which is also home to the oldest PACS program in Canada.
2. Take advantage of resources at the University of Waterloo, one of Canada’s premier universities.

Overview

The Master of Peace and Conflict Studies is an interdisciplinary program that integrates scholarship with opportunities for practical experience. Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) students will take a combination of core PACS courses, PACS electives, and PACS cross-listed electives, offered with the cooperation of other programs and departments at Waterloo. In order to graduate, students must complete 5.0 units: 2.5 units (5 courses) of core courses; a minimum of 1.0 unit of PACS electives; and up to 1.5 units of PACS cross-listed electives.

Core

All MPACS students must take 5 required core courses (or 2.5 units), which will introduce students to key themes related to systems of peace and governance, building civil society, conflict analysis, and conflict transformation and peace-building. These courses build upon the philosophical approach to peace, which emphasizes the potential of civil society to act as a catalyst for peace, while preparing students for effective engagement across societal sectors. These courses will ground students in core concepts of a multi-sectoral, and multi-disciplinary approach to peace building and conflict analysis emanating from civil society, in both theory and practice.

The core courses include:

Electives

In addition to core courses, students must take at least an additional 1.0 units (or two regular 0.5-unit courses) of PACS electives. These courses will allow students to begin narrowing their studies to intentionally focus on their specific interests. Students will have the chance to focus on the study of non-violent movements, reconciliation, religion and culture, or to more specifically engage in individualized peace research. Students in this category will have the option of emphasizing theoretical or applied studies (Intership and Conflict Resolution Skills workshop).

The elective courses include:

Additional PACS cross-listed electives:

MPACS students also have the opportunity of taking up to 1.5 units of PACS cross-listed electives offered by cooperating departments at the University of Waterloo. These courses will allow students to explore complementary values or views of peace as taught through the lens of Global Governance, International Development, Political Science, Theological Studies, or any other relevant graduate course offered at Waterloo or Wilfrid Laurier University for which the student gains admission and the PACS graduate officer approves. This flexibility allows students to explore the realities, opportunities, and obligations of each sector as well as enhance their own multi-disciplinary understanding. In this way, students will not only be empowered as agents of peaceful change within civil society, but will learn how to walk seamlessly among the three sectors.

The PACS cross-listed electives include:

Program diagram